Fate in a Nightmare
by Charlie's Heroine
Summary: Charlie finds a sweet escape for him and Claire, but it soon turns into their worst nightmare and Charlie must prove himself to save the woman he loves.


**Takes place between the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3. **

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Charlie sat with his back against a seaweed-dressed log on the beach. Fingering his family heirloom around his middle finger, he smiled in Claire's direction. Her curly yellow locks flowed in sync with the sea breeze like airborne feathers as she gazed out at the vast sea. She held a blanket-cloven Aaron close to her chest and rocked him, slowly side-to-side. His short, soft blond hair flickered in the wind like tiny grass blades as he squirmed to take in his surroundings with his large orb-like eyes.

Charlie lazily rose to his feet, flexing his tense muscles by reaching towards the sky and arching his torso backwards. With a relaxed sigh, he brushed his chocolate-golden hair down with curled fingers and strolled over to Claire.

She was too lost in her thoughts to realize someone was sneaking behind her when, "Hah!" Charlie sharply grabbed her shoulders and jerked her backwards, causing her and her son to fall gracefully in his protective arms.

Claire gave a short, "Eek!" and then chastised him for acting so immature.

Charlie merely shrugged it off and rolled his eyes, grinning. Claire shook her head, but returned the grin and they exchanged a slow and tender greeting kiss on the lips.

Seeing his foster father, Aaron reached for Charlie with gripping, dimpled hands and piped his soprano vocal chords with excitement.

"Seems _someone's _happy to see you," said Claire as she handed Charlie the baby.

"And you're not?" Charlie inquired, sounding nasally. Aaron was roughly tugging on his nose to test if it was removable.

"You know I'm kidding. But I was having a nice daydream 'til you tipped me over like a tea cup." Her eyes focused out of reality as she recollected her dream.

Charlie removed Aaron's persistent grasp from his nose, "And what was this nice daydream about?"

Claire looked towards the horizon, "You, Aaron, and I were off this soary piece of land, and in Australia, home. We had a cute stone cottage in the Australian Alps, hidden by evergreens and rock formations; we had a beautiful view of the sunset and everything just seemed so perfect. Just the three of us in solitude," Claire sighed, "Of course, it's only a dream. Who knows what will happen to us when or _if_ we escape this nightmare."

"Well, at least something will happen to us. If nothing ever does then life's not all it's cracked up to be. If we get eaten by polar bears, then so be it. If we escape this sodding island and live in the Alps, then terrific! Fate will decide."

"Stop it, I'm serious." Claire pushed his shoulder with the palm of her hand, but he remained stone stiff.

"So am I, Claire," said Charlie, raising his eyebrows, "Come with me. I want to show ya somethin'."

Claire followed him suspiciously to her tent, where he grabbed his backpack and stuffed it with some Dharma snacks and water.

After delivering Aaron to Sun, the baby-sitter, Charlie turned to Claire, "Ready for a hike?" And before she could have her rebuttal, he was off, whistling the tune to _Good Vibrations_.

**An hour later…**

The sun began to nestle itself into the darkening clouds as the two treaded up a gradual hill, past the point where the crazy French woman's distress call was first heard.

"Are we there yet, Charlie? It'll be dark soon." Claire looked behind her warily, wiping sweat off her brow and breathing heavily.

"You picked the perfect time to ask."

They stood atop a tall hill shrouded by tropical foliage and soft, dark earth; the orange and violet sunlight gleamed against the bark of the trees. They could see most of the island, including their camp, below them. As Claire studied its beauty, she almost overlooked a small wooden cabin half hidden by the shade of the trees. It looked possibly over a hundred years old. The wood was peeling and every so often a creak was heard coming from inside, as if someone (or thing) was pacing on the frail wood-floor.

"Now I know it's not _exactly_ how you dreamt but — Oomph!"

Claire ran to Charlie, swung her arms around his body, and squeezed tightly while giving his blushed cheek a peck. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed.

"Glad you approve. I did some adventuring of my own and found this place." Charlie wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into his arms, bridle style, and they entered the cabin.

Conveniently, there was a bed. It was rickety and looked ready to collapse, complete with a mattress, but a bed nonetheless. They plopped down upon it; Charlie hovered over Claire, their faces just inches apart. Claire placed a hand behind his neck and pulled him in. Their lips touched slowly and gently, assuring neither one rushed too ahead of the other. Claire stroked the back of Charlie's neck, entwining his hair between her fingers. Charlie ran his hands underneath her tank-top, feeling the curves and crevasses of her hourglass figure.

"Charlie," Claire breathed.

Looking concerned and flushed Charlie asked, "I'm not going too fast, am I? 'Cause I'll stop or slow down, whatever you want, just say so."

Claire looked about the dark room, but could only make out an old rocking chair and what appeared to be a desk all made of wood. For the first time she saw how foreboding the cabin really was. "It's not that," she whispered, "I thought I heard something, like whispers, from outside."

Having heard mysterious whispers not-so-long-ago, Charlie nervously searched the woods with his eyes from the nearby window but saw nothing in the moon-shadowed jungle. The whispers came again and both Charlie and Claire jerked their heads in the same direction.

"They sounded nearer that time."

Charlie looked at Claire warmly, and longed for the brief moment to last forever before declaring, "I'm going out there."

"No!" Claire grabbed his arm to pull him back on the bed with her, but he remained immobile, "You don't have to go out there. Stay with me, in here. We'll wait for whatever it is to pass."

"It already knows we're here. Besides, I'm not going because I have to; I want to protect you, Claire," He put his hand on hers and brought it from the grasp on his arm to his lips, "Don't worry about me, okay?"

She nodded and watched him leave the cabin.

Charlie's heart was pounding. He jerked his head in every direction but could only hear the sounds of the jungle. He took a deep sigh of relief and turned to Claire, who was half hiding her golden head at a window.

Charlie grinned at how adorable she looked. "It's alright. The creepy whispers are —"

Suddenly, all the windows and the door made a loud screech as they shut simultaneously.

Claire yelled, "What's going on!? I can't see a thing! Charlie!"

"I'm here Claire! I'll protect you!" Charlie began kicking and charging into the door with gusto, but it refused to budge, not even a scar was made from his failed attempts.

Claire pried on the windows with her nails, but the windows were glued shut.

Charlie paced in front of the cabin, while racking his brain for anymore brilliant ideas. He decided the first priority was to sooth Claire, despite being freaked himself, "Everything's alright. Don't worry. I can do this. Take deep breaths. One sugarplum fairy…two —"

"I'm not having a baby!"

"Right. Sorry Claire."

Then, out of the shadows of the tall lurking trees arose a baritone bellow shortly followed by a bone-chattering sound. Charlie recognized the petrifying roar and spun around. A few inches from his horror-stricken face floated a giant cloud of black smoke staring him down without eyes. As Charlie peered into it, a storm of his past brewed. Lightning flashes of painful memories flashed grey and bright amongst the black mass. He tried to look away but some invisible force gripped him in place.

Charlie saw his brother Liam telling him to forget the band and that his own family was more important. He saw his father berating him for his love of music and his mother encouraging his musical talents despite his father's opinion. As Charlie watched himself become enslaved by drugs, enough to con a woman and steal from her, he felt hot and lightheaded as if he needed a fix.

He squinted his eyes shut and whispered, "No…I'm not like that anymore…I have a family…I'm not worthless."

Charlie thought of Claire and Aaron, forming his own storm of memories in the endless sky of his mind. He remembered saving the newborn Aaron from Rousseau. He grinned to himself as he pictured the many times he changed, fed, and entertained Aaron as Claire napped peacefully. Feeling a wave of confidence wash over him, he opened his eyes, looking directly into the black abyss before him. He flashed the first time he met Claire by the camp fire while holding an extra blanket into his head like a bolt striking the ground.

The monster flinched backwards, as if Charlie had struck its weakness, and disappeared into the jungle with the bone-chattering noise fading with it.

Charlie collapsed to his knees and stared at the soil beneath him. His body shivered and beads of sweat dripped from his face.

Suddenly, a blanket of warmth enveloped his body and cooed, "My hero."

Charlie's shivers began to subside, more from the sound of the voice than from the body that held him. He looked up into those beautiful blue eyes he knew so well, encircled his arms around her, and replied, "My savior."

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**I hope you liked it! Thanks to Wickedgal08 for bettaing :)**

**Please review! I need feedback to keep writing and it would make my day :)**


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